This article describes an afterschool program called "Poetic High" in which the author shares insights on the transformation of oneself as a teacher into more of a guide and a mentor. It outlines the process of transforming the attitudes of students from being passive learners into being poets of learning and life. The Poetic High created by this program has been an endless cycle of infecting others with enthusiasm for reaching toward new high points both in and outside of the classroom, which is really the true essence of the Poetic High. It is about the journeys within and the progress made outward. The Poetic High is about loving the process of life through language and communities that intersect with minds, hearts, and, of course, voices that rise up to warm everyone. Encouraging students to think poetically, and independently requires teachers to relinquish the idea that they are the only experts in the classroom. The author suggests that in helping students develop poetic identity, instruction is necessary, however, teachers must also provide the opportunity for students to construct their own meaning. Asking purposeful questions, while not accepting the easy-way-out-answer of "I don't know," has the power to liberate students from the dependency of always relying on someone else to be the "depositor" of information into their brain. Giving student poets opportunities to find themselves through a culture of poetry helps them take more control over growing into the person they want to become. Building this culture takes educators one step further to helping youth become authorities, to feel active in their own education, and to "take control of the language of their lives."